Thomas tells THR that Jade was out walking with her grandmother near the CBS lot, where The X Factor is filmed, when "someone from an agency saw her and picked her up."

No word yet on an official gig, or which agency may have snapped up the adorable tyke, but Thomas says that they are keeping their options open.

"We're kind of seeing what we have out there," she says. "But it's something that she really likes to do. It's not something that I want her to do, it's something that she's really excited to do. She loves cameras, she loves performing, she loves singing and dancing."

While Jade is currently back home in San Antonio, TX ("I just thought it would be too much for her to go back home and come back a day later," says Thomas. "I think a break for us is needed"), she is expected to be reunited with her mom before next week's performance. Assuming, that is, Thomas is not voted off during Thursday's elimination episode.

So would the 21-year-old ever encourage her daughter to follow in her musical footsteps?

"If it's something that she wants to do, absolutely," says Thomas. "I want her to do whatever she wants to do. I want her to work her best to be the best at whatever she wants to do. If that's dancing, I'll encourage her to work her hardest to be the best dancer. If it's singing, or both, I'll be right there. If it's modeling. If it's going to school to be a doctor, a teacher or a nurse, whatever, I'll encourage her as long as it's something she's passionate about."